Exercise wheels have been used over the years that allow for small animals, including marsupium's such as sugar gliders, as well as mice, rats, gerbils and dwarf hamsters, and the like, to use, and have generally been metal type wheels, with exposed mounting hardware. However, these wheels have many problems. For example, many of these wheels are made from metal parts, coated with paint, that can wear off over time. The prior art wheels can often have cage type openings and cross-bars that can allow for feet, tails and legs to pass through that can result in harm to the small animals.
There are also safety issues with the prior art wheels. The floor type openings in these wheels and additional side openings can also cause the small pets to fall out of the rotating wheel and accidentally banging their heads on nearby shelves or types if the small animal tries to exit through the small holes as the wheel is spinning.
Additionally, most of these cage type wheels have exposed mounting hardware which results in the rotating wheel to generate squeaky noises not only during the day but all night long as the wheel is being rotated. As such, these prior art wheels can become both annoying and undesirable over time in view of the noise being generated by the rotating wheels.
Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art.